Giolito (elbow) exercised his $19 million player option for 2025 on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Giolito was unlikely to receive anything close to a $19 million salary in free agency after missing all of 2024 due to an elbow procedure he underwent in March, so it's unsurprising to see him opt into another year with the Red Sox. The 30-year-old right-hander started a throwing program in early August, though it remains unclear if he'll be ready to go for the start of spring training.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Throwing in outfield
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Giolito (elbow) was throwing in the field at Fenway Park on Friday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Giolito joined the Red Sox in the offseason to be part of Boston's starting rotation. However, he never had the chance to suit up in the regular season after suffering a partial UCL tear and flexor strain in his right elbow during spring training, which required an internal brace procedure in March and a trip to the 60-day injured list. That type of procedure carries a 10-12 month recovery window, so the fact that Giolito is throwing just five months after surgery shows how well the 30-year-old is progressing in his rehab. Barring any setbacks, he could begin throwing off a mound before the end of the season.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Expects to play catch by month's end
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Giolito (elbow) said in an interview last week that he expects to start playing catch by the end of the month, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports. "Working with the training staff, it's been fantastic," Giolito said of his recovery from the internal brace procedure he underwent March 12. "It's just making sure to stay motivated every day. Hitting each little goal and looking forward to the next major step, which will be beginning my throwing program."
Only a few weeks after undergoing an elbow surgery that typically entails a 10-to-12-month recovery process, Giolito said in an appearance on "The Chris Rose Rotation" podcast that he expected to pitch at some point late in the 2024 season, but that was never a realistic goal. Giolito has since conceded that he won't return from the 60-day injured list this season, but he remains fully confident that he'll be ready to go for the start of the 2025 campaign. Giolito still looks to be trending well in his recovery from surgery thus far, and he could be cleared to resume throwing off a mound before the end of the season if he experiences no setbacks once he starts up his throwing program later this month.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Goes on 60-day IL
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The Red Sox placed Giolito (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
The transaction is merely a procedural move, as Giolito is already set to miss the entire 2024 season while he recovers from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow earlier this month. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Chase Anderson, who is projected to serve as a long man out of the bullpen after Chris Murphy also recently suffered an elbow injury that's expected to require season-ending surgery. Signed by Boston this past offseason, Giolito will pocket $18 million in 2024 before likely exercising his $19 million player option for 2025 this coming winter.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Undergoes internal brace procedure
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Giolito underwent an internal brace procedure Tuesday to repair the UCL in his right elbow, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
On a positive note, Giolito was able to avoid what would have been the second Tommy John surgery of his career. He'll still miss the entirety of the 2024 campaign while he recovers from the internal brace procedure, but he could have a shot to be ready for the start of the 2025 season. Giolito holds a $19 million player option for 2025, which he'll almost certainly exercise shortly after the 2024 season ends.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Slated for elbow surgery Tuesday
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Giolito will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair UCL damage in his right elbow, Sean McAdam of The Springfield Republican reports.
Whether Giolito will require Tommy John surgery or the less invasive internal brace procedure won't be known until the operation is being performed. Either way, the right-hander's 2024 season is undoubtedly over. If Tommy John surgery is needed, it would be the second of Giolito's career and would set him up for a longer rehab that would likely extend into the 2025 campaign. The 29-year-old holds a $19 million player option for 2025, which he'll surely pick up this offseason in the wake of the major elbow operation.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Will get second opinion Monday
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Giolito will receive a second opinion on his injured right elbow Monday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
While he didn't explicitly confirm reports that Giolito has a partially torn UCL and flexor strain in his right elbow, Cora conceded that surgery is a possibility for the hurler. A decision on Giolito's treatment plan will be made after Monday's exam. If he does wind up needing Tommy John surgery, Giolito would be sidelined for the entire 2024 season, and perhaps the early part of 2025 as well.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Initial tests show partial UCL tear
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Initial imaging on Giolito's right elbow showed a partial UCL tear and flexor strain, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Giolito will be examined further before any decisions are made, but season-ending surgery is a possibility. It's brutal news for a Red Sox team that already seemed a little light on rotation depth. Giolito's two-year, $38.5 million contract contains an opt-out after the first year, but he surely wouldn't exercise that if he winds up requiring surgery. Worth noting is that Jordan Montgomery remains a free agent and has been heavily connected to the Red Sox. If Boston fills Giolito's spot internally, it opens the door for both Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock in the rotation.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Bound for IL with elbow injury
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Giolito felt right elbow soreness after his last Grapefruit League appearance and is not expected to be ready Opening Day, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Giolito will have the elbow checked out before more is known, but Cora admitted to being concerned about the right-hander, suggesting this could be a long-term absence. Both Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock would now appear locks for the Red Sox rotation, although the calls for the team to sign Jordan Montgomery no doubt will grow louder.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Trouble arises in third inning
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Giolito allowed four runs on two hits and three walks while striking out one over 2.1 innings in Friday's spring start against the Twins.
Giolito retired seven of the first nine batters he faced before running into trouble in the third inning, when he allowed a single and two walks and was removed after 48 pitches. Unfortunately for his pitching line, reliever Jordan DiValerio gave up a grand slam. Giolito told Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe that he believes getting up-and-down a third time was a factor in the third inning. "My stuff felt pretty good, especially the slider," Giolito said. "But in the third inning, I kind of got ahead of myself and got out of sync." This was his second start of the spring after he threw two scoreless innings his first time out.
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Red Sox's Lucas Giolito: Headed to Boston
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Giolito signed a two-year, $38.5 million contract with the Red Sox on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Giolito bounced around between the White Sox, Angels and Guardians last season, logging a 4.88 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across 184.1 total innings. The 29-year-old righty is capable of racking up strikeouts at an impressive rate -- he's surpassed 200 punchouts twice in the last three seasons. However, Giolito's ERA approached 5.00 in both 2022 and 2023, which makes him a risky fantasy option heading into next year.
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Guardians' Lucas Giolito: Struggles with command Tuesday
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Giolito came away with a no-decision Tuesday in the Guardians' 11-7 loss to the Reds, coughing up five runs on four hits -- including three home runs -- and five walks over 3.1 innings. He struck out five.
Cleveland's offense kept trying to hand Giolito a lead, and he kept squandering it. The right-hander tossed only 50 of 98 pitches for strikes, and when he was over the plate he caught far too much of it as Luke Maile and Christian Encarnacion-Strand both took him yard in the third inning before Elly De La Cruz helped chase Giolito from the game with a solo shot in the fourth. He's served up 10 homers in just 25.2 innings since joining the Guardians' rotation, leaving him with a 6.66 ERA over that stretch despite an otherwise palatable 1.36 WHIP and 35:12 K:BB, and Giolito may have to settle for a one-year prove-it deal in free agency this winter after his 2023 struggles.
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Guardians' Lucas Giolito: Falls to Royals
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Giolito (8-14) took the loss Wednesday, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks over 5.1 innings against Kansas City. He struck out six.
After snapping a five-start losing streak in his last outing against Texas, Giolito found himself back in the loss column Wednesday. Most of the damage came in the opening frame when Nelson Velazquez put Giolito in an early hole with a three-run homer. The 29-year-old Giolito had pitched well in his prior two outings, allowing just two runs over 14 innings while logging 21 strikeouts. Overall, he sports a 4.60 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and 195:64 K:BB across 31 starts (176 innings) this season between the Guardians, Angels and White Sox.
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Guardians' Lucas Giolito: Brilliant against Rangers
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Giolito (8-13) earned the win Friday, allowing two hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against Texas. He struck out 12.
Following two rough starts where he allowed a total of 13 runs and six home runs in his first outing for Cleveland, Giolito was brilliant Friday in allowing only three baserunners and no runs while inducing 16 swinging strikes on his way to a season-high 12 strikeouts, as the Rangers were flailing all night. This marked his first start since April 2021 as a member of the White Sox in which he has gone at least seven innings without allowing a run. He'll look to follow up on this dominant performance in his next start, tentatively scheduled to take place in a mid-week matchup with the Royals.
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Guardians' Lucas Giolito: Falls to former team
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Giolito (7-13) took the loss Saturday against the Angels, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out nine without walking a batter over seven innings.
Giolito filled the strike zone, throwing 67 of his 92 pitches for strikes, but he perhaps found a bit too much of the zone. Three of the four hits he surrendered were home runs. He's allowed 13 runs over 10 innings with the Guardians after posting a 6.89 ERA across 32.2 innings with the Angels prior to getting waived at the end of August. Overall, he's recorded a 4.89 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 177:60 K:BB through 163.2 innings over 29 starts between three teams this year. Giolito is lined up for a home start versus the Rangers next week.
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Guardians' Lucas Giolito: Crushed in team debut
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Giolito dropped to 7-12 on the season after yielding nine earned runs on seven hits and three walks over three innings while striking out three in Monday's 20-6 loss to the Twins.
Giolito was making his Guardians debut after the team snagged him off waivers from the Angels. Things went off the rails quickly, as he coughed up three home runs, including Royce Lewis' grand slam in the second inning. Since being traded by the White Sox, Giolito has produced a brutal 8.58 ERA in seven starts between the Angels and Guardians. His season ERA has jumped to 4.88 across 156.2 frames. Giolito is currently projected to face his former team, the Angels, on the road this weekend.
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Guardians' Lucas Giolito: Nabbed by Guardians via waivers
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Giolito was claimed off waivers by the Guardians on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Cleveland is six games under .500 but just five games out in the American League Central, so they've decided to jump at the opportunity to improve their rotation by adding only salary and not giving up any players. Giolito posted a 6.89 ERA over 32.2 innings during his short time with the Angels, but he struck out 34 and provides the Guardians with a viable addition to a rotation which has been hit hard by injury. He last pitched on Monday, so Giolito could theoretically make his Cleveland debut as soon as Saturday.
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Angels' Lucas Giolito: Waived by Halos
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The Angels waived Giolito on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Giolito was one of five players that the Angels waived Tuesday in an effort dump some salary. The 29-year-old righty was traded from the White Sox to Los Angeles shortly before the trade deadline and put up a 6.89 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across 32.2 innings with the Angels. Despite his poor performance as of late, Giolito will likely be claimed by another team looking for rotation depth down the stretch.
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Angels' Lucas Giolito: Five earned runs in loss
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Giolito (7-11) took the loss Monday, allowing five runs on four hits and four walks over 5.2 innings in a 6-4 loss against the Phillies. He struck out six.
All of Giolito's earned runs came via the long ball, as the Phillies took him deep three times Monday. In six starts since becoming an Angel on July 26, the big right-hander has gone 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 34:15 K:BB across 32.2 innings. His next start is tentatively scheduled to come in Oakland over the weekend.
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Angels' Lucas Giolito: Gets stuck with loss
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Giolito (7-10) took the loss Tuesday, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks over six innings against Cincinnati. He struck out nine.
The only run charged against Giolito came on the second batter of the game, as Matt McLain launched a solo homer. Giolito then kept the Reds off the board until the fifth, when a two-out error by Nolan Schanuel brought a pair of runners in to score and allowed Elly De La Cruz to reach and eventually cross home plate himself. Though Tuesday's outing was Giolito's best in an Angels uniform, he ended up taking another loss, his fourth since joining the team. Overall, Giolito owns a 4.32 ERA and a 159:53 K:BB across 26 starts (148 innings), and he's tentatively scheduled to take on the Phillies next time out.
